Homeless young man deserves helping hand

This letter is in regard to Adonai Abus Velasquez, the homeless man arrested after hiding in a CCC classroom.

This young man is one of the sweetest, most brilliant young men ever. He is homeless because of family issues. And he felt it was better to live on the streets than live in the conditions he was living in. I met him volunteering at Code Blue, took him in and helped him with food, shelter, clothing and getting him into Job Corps. Job Corps is taking longer than anticipated to get him started and sent to a site. He will do anything for anyone and doesn’t like to ask or receive handouts.

He is absolutely brilliant. He spends a majority of his time in libraries reading and studying books and researching on the Internet. He taught himself Spanish and speaks better than people who were born and raised with the language. He has translated for us at the shelters and has helped people in stores and with my bail bond business. All he wants to do is get educated so he can become a surgeon or someone who helps people.

If college officials were smart and had a heart, they would take this situation and turn it around by funding his education and housing him. This kid needs a break. He is not a criminal by any means. He doesn’t drink, do drugs or even curse. He’s Chilean and Colombian and was born in Atlantic City. He’s a citizen of the USA. Furthermore, he’s not looking for a handout, just a boost up for a better life. He is too proud to ask for help, and that’s part of the reason he’s homeless.

While he was living with me he insisted on volunteering with me at the homeless shelter because he wanted to help the others who were still homeless. He wants to get educated so he’s in a better position to help others. He is a self-teacher; he’s like a sponge, and he wants to absorb information. He might be different or weird to most people. But we have to admit that the weird people are the ones that have changed the world and left their mark throughout history for the benefit of mankind in one way or another.

Also, there are people willing to vouch for him who volunteered in the shelters. People have to look at him as a fellow human being who needs a boost up to turn his life around.

Shawn Matos

Vineland

Rev. Al Sharpton

should protest this

possible hate crime

I was just wondering if the Rev. Al Sharpton heard about the unspeakable murder in Philadelphia recently. A white man, Patrick Stuhlman, was out walking his dog on the evening of March 12. Mr. Stuhlman never made it home. He was murdered by a 15-year-old African American male along with two of his friends.

Speaking of hate crimes, this seems to be one. If the murderer was a white man and the victim was an African American, the Rev. Sharpton would have been on the first airplane to Philadelphia. But since this violent crime was perpetrated by an African American against a white man, the Rev. Sharpton will be as quiet as a church mouse.

I challenge Rev. Sharpton to come to Philadelphia and lead a protest against this possible hate crime.